Recent Posts

C.A.R.E.

In our previous blog post (read here), Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) discussed the 4 Foundational Concepts of a Person-Centered Care. As we continue to discuss the concepts, we'll focus on defining the role of Resident Assessment in Person-Centered Care Planning.

C.A.R.E.

Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) continues to work with providers to mine through the implementation of Phase 1 of Requirements of Participation (RoP). One area we begin to discuss is the foundational concept of Person Centered Care Planning.

C.A.R.E.

November 28, 2016 Kicked off Phase One of the Requirements of Participation. The Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, Action Plan retains all existing resident rights and updates the languages and organization of the resident right provisions.

C.A.R.E.

The next SNF PEPPER (version Q4FY16) is scheduled for release on April 17, 2017. The release of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) with statistics through September 2016 will be available for review. TMF Health Quality Institute is under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide comparative data reports, including the PEPPER, to providers and to Medicare Administrative Contractors in support of the efforts to reduce Medicare fee-for-service improper payments.

C.A.R.E.

As we approach January 1, 2017, therapy providers are preparing for the New CPT Code for Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Evaluations. Many therapists are reviewing the recent American Medical Association Common Procedural Terminology for 2017 manual and questioning the comparison of OT versus PT Evaluation codes. However, the development of each CPT codes was not to parallel the reported outcomes between PT and OT, but to reflect specific elements that reflect the discipline specific role of either a PT or an OT.

C.A.R.E.

Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) has noted an increase in facilities who wish to improve their measure of this quality indicator on their facility Quality Measure (QM) report. It is important to remember that high ratings may not be an indicator of substandard patient care. Substandard care is not the presence of incontinent residents in your facility. Substandard care is the lack of competent assessment, inappropriate treatment or management of incontinence, and lack of adjustments to clinical care that preserve the dignity of residents who are incontinent.

C.A.R.E.

Across the country, states are exploring the viability of Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations that align the provider and payer incentive to focus on value instead of volume. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is currently aligning partnerships in order to identify a collaborative approach to providing better care at an efficient cost. During the harmony16 LTPAC Symposium, Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) presented on the upcoming changes to CMS initiatives with Medicaid Beneficiaries. The following topics were discussed: